STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Drake University softball team edged Mississippi State, 1-0, in eight innings Friday night at the February Freezer. It is first loss of 2018 for the MSU Bulldogs. Earlier in the day in the first game of the three-day tournament, Murray State held on to beat the Drake (5-2), 5-3.
 
Drake and Mississippi State (6-1) left a combined 15 runners on base as each team's ace fought it out in a pitchers duel.
 
Redshirt junior Nicole Newman (Madison, Wis.) pitched seven innings and allowed only four hits. Newman (3-0) struck out seven batters allowed zero walks to set up a relief appearance by senior Kailee Smith (Murrieta, Calif.) in the eighth inning. Smith helped Drake secure the victory giving up zero hits and striking out one.
 
Mississippi State's Holly Ward battled in the circle with a complete eight innings allowing just one run (unearned) on seven hits. Ward (2-1) struck out five and gave up just one walk.
 
Drake sophomore Mandi Roemmich (West Des Moines, Iowa) found her stride against Mississippi State going 3-for-4 at the plate with one run scored.
 
After narrowly missing a scoring opportunity in the sixth, Drake forced a three-up, three-down situation for Mississippi State in the seventh to force extra innings. Drake's leadoff batter, sophomore Abby Buie (Gardner, Kan.) grounded out to open the frame before Roemmich followed with a single. Freshman Macy Johnson (Winterset, Iowa) then reached on a fielders' choice as Roemmich was able to safely advance to third on a throwing error. Senior Tasha Alexander (Eddyville, Iowa) made contact for another fielder's choice as a second Mississippi State error allowed Roemmich to safely cross the plate.
 
Drake opened the day dropping a 5-3 matchup to Murray State. Murray State (2-3) took a 4-0 lead over Drake in the top of the fourth. After opening the inning with a single, back-to-back walks allowed the Racers to load the bases setting up a grand slam for Lexi Jones off of Smith.
 
The Bulldogs got on the board in the bottom of the fifth with an opening walk for Newman. A ground out by junior Kennedy Frank (Chesterfield, Mo.) allowed Buie, a pinch runner for Newman, to advance to second. After a fly out, senior Ashlie Chambers (Ankeny, Iowa) singled to score Buie for Drake's first run of the game.
 
After Murray State added an insurance run in the top of the sixth, Drake attempted to fight back with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Junior Melissa Schlotzhauer (Pilot Grove, Mo.) opened the inning with a single and was followed by a double by Roemmich. Roemmich advanced to third on the throw home as Schlotzhauer scored before she came all the way home on a throwing error by the leftfielder. Despite a leadoff single by junior Taryn Pena (Columbia, Ill.) to start the seventh, the Racers' reliever Grace Vaughn was able to silence Drake's efforts to hand the Bulldogs their second loss of the season.
 
Freshman Nicole Timmons (Davenport, Iowa) gave up three runs (two earned) on five hits in six innings pitched. Timmons (1-1) struck out eight with four walks. Smith pitched one inning of relief against the Racers allowing two runs on one hit while striking out one and issuing one walk.
 
The Bulldogs resume action Saturday with rematches against Mississippi State and Murray State at 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., respectively, before concluding action in the February Freezer Sunday at 11 a.m. against South Alabama.